


A Hero's Blessing

by shdowstep



Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:33:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24746128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shdowstep/pseuds/shdowstep
Summary: He heard the voice of a child in need, a child that was related to him and yet not. Though he had failed his own children, he could NOT just sit back and let another child suffer. Even if that child was in another reality. For if the Throne of Heroes can record Heroes from other realities and timelines, then doesn't that mean that a Hero can travel to other realities that same way?
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	1. Prologue

Percy paced through the forest, desperately trying to think of what to do.

He had just heard Zoe and Bianca talking about how the last member they had chosen for the quest was not able to attend, but they were still planning on going without choosing another member. He wasn't an expert on Oracles and Prophecies (despite being part of multiple!), but going astray of the prophecy at the BEGINNING of the quest seemed like one of those not so good ideas that Annabeth accused him of having all the time.

No, he didn't have anything to do with their decision. He was... Almost positive.

Like, 87% positive? Maybe?

In the end, he just wanted Annabeth to be safe. And although he hadn’t known Artemis for very long, the legends of her made her out to be one of the better of the divine authorities around, and for her to be held captive by the enemy was  _ probably  _ a VERY bad thing…

He groaned at where his thoughts were taking him, his pacing taking a more aggressive tempo.

He had been hoping, REALLY and truly hoping, that this summer would be different. He was fourteen. FOURTEEN! Kids that age don't go on quests, or, or, fight stupid monsters that couldn’t take a hint and stay dead! They're supposed to spend time with their family! Go to the beach, hang out with friends, goof off with those friends!

Not that he’d know, you know, on account of never having been able to do that stuff. But he had always wanted to!

He sighed in frustration. Even before he found out that he was a demigod, things hadn't gone well for him. Constantly changing schools, his crummy stepdad, trying to help his Mom... Then Zeus, in his almighty wisdom, decided that a twelve year old was able to slip into Olympus to steal his Lightning. 

Says a lot about the security, huh? 

Then everything went from bad to worse, with one thing after another the next year, and now this!

His pacing became more frenzied as his thoughts became more frantic at the memories. In response to his thoughts the air became more humid, and waves started forming more furiously along the shores in the distance. 

But now that Thalia was back, he had been certain that if anything crazy happened, it would hit her instead of him. Kind of like a lightning rod,  _ heh _ .

Percy shook his head, trying to get it back on track.

Sure, he might have  _ slightly  _ been dragged into whatever happened because Thalia was really good friends with Annabeth, and of course he would have helped out Annabeth, but it should have been minor. 

And, well, technically, he hadn't been wrong. HE wasn't chosen for the quest, and SHE was. This was good! It was what he wanted! And yet... His mind went back to the vision he had had of Annabeth, being crushed underneath the ceiling of that cave... He thought of his friend Grover, and Thalia as well. Sure, he reasoned, she wasn't the best of friends with him, but he could sympathize with her position, having been in it himself not too long ago.

His fists tightened, nails digging into his hands, as he thought of Nico, and how he would feel if Bianca were to die.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the water beginning to form on all of the trees, nor the wind picking up speed.

It was what he wanted - the chance to have a quiet summer. No quests, the biggest danger being the climbing wall, and no enemies. But... 

His friends flashed before his eyes, and he angrily shut them tight. 

He couldn't do it. 

He wanted his friends to make it through the quest safely. 

He wanted Nico to be able to see Bianca again. 

And he wanted Annabeth to NOT be in enemy hands. For them, he was willing to sacrifice his chance of a quiet summer.

Tears formed as his determination strengthened. 

Why? 

Why did they have to worry about this? 

Why were the kids the ones that were responsible for the fate of the world? 

Where were the adult heroes? Like the ones spoken about in legend? They didn’t have to deal with all of this when they were kids. They were all adults - already trained and probably at least semi-ready for the quests they were to go on! Who designed this system?! 

Unable to hold in his frustration, he clenched his fists and let out a loud yell in the woods, expelling all of his anger and pain into the sea of trees, the water that had been collecting on the leaves expelling in a furious blast. 

It wasn’t the yell of a hero. It wasn’t one of defiance, or determination. 

It was the shout of a child in pain. 

A small girl attending the hearth lowered her head in sadness, and the director of the camp scowled into his drink, wishing he could get drunk all the more. 

The two gods had seen far too many kids have to grow up before their time, and each could only deal with it in their own way. 

In the woods, Percy stood there gasping, slowly relaxing his muscles. He had already decided that he would do it. Not for the fame that he hated, and definitely not because some prophecy said it had to be so.

He was going to go to make sure that his friends made it back safely.

With his mind then made up, he sprinted over to the stables, determined to catch up with the questers.

So focused he was, he didn’t notice the way the ground and air seemed to shake behind him. 

He didn’t realize that somebody had heard his plea. 

He had no idea that somebody… Decided to answer his call.

* * *

_ What purpose serves the Throne of Heroes? _

_ From the beginning of time, across the realities of the multiverse, to the distant future. All of those that are worthy of the title of Hero are recorded therein. _

_ Long before the Holy Grail Wars - before the gemcraft of the Tohsaka's, the homonculi of the Eizenburghs, or the worm-craft of the Matous, the Throne existed. _

_ Why exist, if not to be used? _

_ Recording across the bounds of reality, that touch can go both ways.  _

_ If the throne can record across such vast spaces, then one can call the throne from those same spaces.  _

_ A Hero can be summoned. _

_ Deep within the Throne, far from the current reality, something stirred.  _

_ The cry of a child, one related to him yet not, resonated deep within him - he who had been forced to listen to his own children cry in pain as the throes of madness was forced upon him. He shook himself awake and  _ **_moved_ ** _ , his will enough that the Throne could not deny him.  _

_ An invincible hero, knowing greatness, only to fall, and then rise once more. Madness once consuming, now thrown off. He who triumphed over impossible trials time and time again. He who had beaten the twelve labours and overcome all before him. _

_ One who could qualify for all classes save for Caster, his legends strong enough to support it thus.  _

_ The greatest Hero that Greece had ever produced, perhaps that had ever existed. In reaction to the cry of a child, he came.  _

_ Groaning, the Throne shifted.  _

_ A miracle occurred.  _

* * *

A tear formed, and out stepped out a giant of a man. Over 8 feet tall with every inch of him pure muscle. Shirtless, he wore only an armored kilt, his dark skin and wild shoulder length black hair made him blend in with the background of the forest. Across his back was a large, golden pelt, shimmering metallically Strapped on top of the pelt he had several noticeable weapons - a large jagged greatsword of dark metals, a two sided golden axe, and a beautifully carved bow with a quiver of javelin sized arrows. Half of the arrows were an iron color, the other bronze.

If one were to look at his face, they'd be surprised to see a gentle look come over the giant’s face as he looked around and watched the young man run towards the stable. Appearing in thought for a second, he smiled softly.

He realized he was in a different world fairly quickly. The information provided was scant, but he could sense his old teacher in the distance. This realization almost brought a tear to his eye as he remembered his mistake in his own world, where he had caused the death of Chiron. That his old friend was alive and well in this world made him indescribably happy.

Waiting for a bit, he watched as the boy that had summoned him flew off on a black Pegasus. Marking the direction, he started taking thunderous steps after him, eventually turning into a run. Once he got closer to his destination, he would turn into his spiritual form, but he felt like enjoying his freedom for now.

As he ran, he thought about his summoner. Technically his cousin he supposed. To be forced to go through the trials he had, at his age…

He would not allow it. 

He would assist him, his cousin and his half-sister. His grin took on a vicious quality, and the ground thundered at his passing, large cracks from the pressure forming as he pushed himself with almost limitless power. 

One thing he learned throughout his life was the importance of family. Mostly stemming from his lack of one, and the feeling he had when he had lost them. He had no love of the gods, but for his mortal siblings he would push himself.

The threats of this world were the creatures of the Greek Pantheon?

Please.

The earth shook even more as the giant began to be filled with anticipation.

He had taken on the greatest threats the Greeks had ever seen once before already. This might not have been Greece, but the Greek Gods in this land had claimed it as such, giving him the same bonus as if he was in Greece, he could already feel it.

The enemies arrayed before him?

His aura turned dark as his fists clenched tightly enough to crush metal.

They didn't stand a chance.

And with that, the great Hero Heracles set out to join a quest once more. 


	2. New Nostalgia

Percy travelled via Pegasus through the city, following the van containing the questers, eventually landing discreetly amongst a series of large buildings. In his spiritual form, Herakles watched casually as his cousin spied on the group while cloaked in invisibility, with them eventually entering one of the larger buildings.

He frowned as Percy began to follow another man instead of the group. Before he could start following after him he felt another presence come within range, his eyes widened in recognition as a memory came to mind in a surge of nostalgia.

* * *

" _ **Here kid,"**_ _He rumbled gently, smiling softly as the beggar kid of Cleonae cautiously reached out and grabbed the coin._ " _ **I heard that there was a dangerous animal causing trouble around here, but nobody seems to want to talk about it. Do you know anything about it?"**_

* * *

He changed direction, heading towards the new presence. His cousin was using invisibility, so as long as he didn't do anything stupid he would remain safe. This other creature though…

There was no way, even in this new reality, that this creature would come to the city voluntarily, not without considerable destruction following its wake.

It was hunting something. And barring a huge coincidence, there were only a few targets it would be going after.

And he hadn't believed in coincidences even when he was alive.

* * *

" _You're going to try and kill it?" The boy exclaimed, both shock and fear in his eye, "B-but you can't! The priests said that it must be punishment from the gods for our sins, and that so long as we give a sacrifice every month it would leave us alone!"_

" _ **Punishment from the gods?"**_ _The large man murmured as he chuckled lightly, "_ _ **While that does sound like something they'd do, I happen to have it on some authority that that isn't true."**_

* * *

He moved quickly in spirit form through the area. Though this area was filled with buildings, it appeared that the cold kept most people away.

Good. No witnesses meant he could let loose. This would mark his first fight in this reality, and it would allow him to properly gauge the general strength of the enemies he'd be fighting compared to his own.

Fitting, as this fight marked the first true fight of his legend.

* * *

" _The sacrifices are chosen by lottery, and the next one has already been picked," the boy stated with resignation and slight determination, "I… I can't do much, but if my death can save my siblings, then, well… What else can I do?" He tried to smile, "At least the priests say that they'll take care of my younger brother and sister."_

_Silence was his only response as Herakles blinked in shock, followed soon by fury._

* * *

It didn't take long for him to find it. It wasn't trying to hide, and its legend and his were forever tied together.

He rounded the corner to see a lion the size of a small truck stalk into the loading bay of one of the buildings, seemingly intent on it's hunt. Gold fur gleamed dully in the dim light, and despite it's large size it walked lightly on its feet.

Grinning in anticipation, he materialized himself and took a step forward, the sound causing the lion to turn his way.

Had anybody been watching they would have sworn they had been mistaken. The Nemean Lion was truly a frightening beast, taken down by only a few heroes throughout history and was responsible for the deaths of countless more.

Yet as the Lion saw the Greek, one could see the monstrous feline flinch.

* * *

" _ **This is something that I have to do."**_ _He rumbled with barely suppressed fury, "_ _ **But I promise you, I will be back before they do any more… Sacrifices."**_ _He spat._

_The kid stared at him in disbelief for several seconds, but just as Herakles stood up the kid reacted, "I… I overheard the priests the other day… They, um, they said that the creature's lair is somewhere in the mountains to the south… If you do go, then…" He took a steadying breath, almost not daring to hope, "The next sacrifice is scheduled to happen in 30 days."_

* * *

The lion roared at the newcomer, a sound that was feared by even established heroes and had made lesser men faint. But the creature did not move to attack. As impossible as it sounded… The Nemean Lion was nervous.

It huffed as Herakles removed his weapons, stabbing axe and sword into the concrete with ease before hanging the bow and golden hide on them. Though the Nemean Lion had no higher thought processes it was still a creature that had lived since Ancient Greece. It was aware that men and heroes didn't remove their weapons before battle.

Having relieved himself of his weapons, Herakles didn't wait for it to compose itself.

He charged, his size not slowing him down in the slightest, cracks forming as he launched himself forward. Before the beast could brace itself Herakles' shoulder slammed into it with the force of a truck.

Twisting upon impact, the hero used his strength combined with the momentum of his charge to _throw_ the lion, it's eyes widening in shock as it's weight and size was used against it in a manner that it had never experienced before. In an instant it slammed into a pile of nearby crates, completely smashing through and destroying their contents.

Though taken off guard it remained uninjured, and the beast showed its reputation wasn't for naught as it quickly recovered and leapt to its feet, teeth bared as it faced the direction of this ever increasing threat.

It wasn't fast enough.

Before it could move from amongst the ruined crates, Herakles was in front of it, bringing both his hands down on it's head in a two-armed hammer blow. The blow impacted, driving it's head into the ground in a violent collision, cratering the concrete as its knee's failed it. In an instant, Herakles was behind it, wrapping his arms around the neck of his old foe, and _squeezed._

The Hero couldn't help but give a low chuckle as he restrained the struggling lion. Chiron had spent years trying to teach him how to use Pankration, and he still defaulted to wrestling every time.

He flexed, not bothering to resist when the lion tried to roll on its back to crush him. In their current position the lion couldn't use its claws, and was forced to rely on its weight as its only weapon. Such a strategy might have worked on others, but was barely an annoyance to the Strongest Hero.

Did its claws and bite count as an A-rank attack? Did he even have anything to fear from the beast of this reality? He wasn't sure, but wasn't curious enough to test it.

The struggles of the golden King of Beasts, the epitome of its species, slowly weakened in effort, and with a flash of sympathy for the monster Herakles readjusted his grip and _twisted_ violently with a sickening crack, breaking its neck and causing the creature to finally still.

He let go of the corpse and straightened, raising his eyes in curiosity as the body slowly dissolved into golden dust, leaving behind a golden hide.

Huffing, he reached down and grabbed the spoils. Glancing around to make sure that the area had remained empty of observers, he quickly left the docking bay, only a few destroyed crates and several craters in the concrete evidence of the fight that had just occurred.

* * *

_Percy's' POV_

Percy sat in the back of the van, the tension in the air practically a physical force, but at least he hadn't been shot, so that was a bonus!

Grover glanced at him and he saw the satyr give him an apologetic smile, which he returned gratefully. At least one person in the group didn't want him skewered. True, it was still only 1 in 4, but that was a lot better than 0 in 4. And he didn't think that Bianca really had anything against him, but she seemed like she was following Zoe's lead, so that would probably place her half in each area… And then there was his own vote of course. He definitely had a vote in this imaginary poll in his head. So that was 2.5 in 5 that didn't want him castrated.

50% wasn't terrible at all.

He coughed, giving a nervous smile when Thalia and Zoe both leveled glares in his direction. "Not that I'm complaining, but, why did you allow me to come?"

It had been his goal after all, but given Zoe's attitude and her reaction when he first found them in the Smithsonian, he had been sure that she would just leave him behind.

It wouldn't have stopped him… Probably. He would have still tried anyways. But it would have slowed him down.

Zoe gave a low growl, "Despite what thou may thinketh of me _boy,_ I am not unreasonable. If thou are indeed telling the truth, which your friends believe you to be, then the information given is invaluable. That, and thine actions with the spartoi not only removed us from their sights, but placed thee in theirs." Her glare pierced his through the rear view mirror, "I may not like thee, but I refuse to be indebted in such a manner."

Percy nodded and relaxed. At least it was clear that she believed what he saw, though he was worried about her reaction to his description of "The General". Before he could ask, a chill ran up his spine as she spoke again.

"However, I shall warn thee now boy, that any untoward actions on thine part, if thou step out of line even once, I shall remove that which makes you male. Doth thou Understand?"

Percy paled and nodded rapidly, seeing Grover wince out of the corner of his eye. Sure, he would have been against doing something like that anyways, despite what she might believe, but a threat like that couldn't help but make him freak out just the tiniest bit. What exactly was the definition of 'stepping out of line'? He felt that that was something very important to define as soon as possible.

In the passenger seat, Thalia gave a deep sigh. "While I'm grateful for the warning Percy, you really shouldn't have come." The punk girl lectured, to which Percy just gave a snort.

"Hey, as stupid as my decision was, I don't think that it really measures up against somebody that decided to go against a prophecy just made." He retorted to Thalia. He was very deliberate in that - he was criticizing _Thalia,_ not Zoe. Sure, Zoe might have made the decision as the leader, but Zoe also made a not-idle threat against his , Thalia was criticized instead.

And people didn't think he was smart.

Thalia, for her part, twisted in discomfort, "Our fifth member got pranked and had to stay behind, in accordance with the prophecy," She stated.

Percy simply stared at her, causing her to squirm as she couldn't meet his eyes, eventually just going quiet as she looked out the window.

Yeah, that's what he thought. That excuse was flimsy and she knew it.

"Regardless," Zoe cut in brusquely, "Percy is now a member of our party, and I shalt not leave a party member behind, no matter who it might be."

Thalia just huffed and ignored him, but Grover gave him a happy smile, and he was pleased to see Bianca give him a hesitant one as well.

Things were looking up. The quest had 5 members now, as the prophecy stated, they had more info on the baddies, they had evaded whoever the baddies had sent after them, he had regrouped with his allies, and those allies had left him unharmed and in one piece.

_Hold on tight Annabeth,_ he thought as he thought of his first Demi-god friend. _We're coming._

* * *

_Inside the Museum of Natural History_

"Would you like me to send my 'Ill-trained' men now?" Luke asked, the usual respect tinged in annoyance.

'The General', the Titan Atlas, merely scoffed. Was the boy still upset at his criticism of his men? Sure, the whelps might have been decently trained for the current age, but Atlas was not known as The General for no reason. He had been the leader of an army far greater than Luke could comprehend, their strength and skill leaps and bounds greater than the current generation.

These days both monsters and 'heroes' were weaker, and it disgusted him. Life in the past was rough, each day was a trial - a struggle. The reward for hard work was the gift of living yet another day. A hard life, perhaps, but the men it produced were stronger in a way that the current generation just couldn't comprehend.

The Demi-gods and monsters that Luke trained, though better than most, were still far below his own standards. Truthfully, he doubted that the boy would find anybody that actually met those standards.

Although, looking at the camera feed that his human mercenaries had supplied, he found himself observing with great interest one who might actually meet those standards.

He watched as a man appeared from nowhere and attacked the Nemean Lion before it could find the questing heroes and his dear 'daughter', subduing and eliminating it swiftly and efficiently.

Whereas most would observe and simply see a brute using overwhelming strength, he was different. Once again, The title of The General was not merely for show - his skills might be dulled from his exile under the sky, but it was still there.

This man, this warrior, moved with a precision and confidence that spoke of years of experience. Though the fight hadn't lasted long, it was clear to see that his strikes had been calculated and thought out.

Watching the video, he felt like he was watching a true warrior of old, one who had gone through trial after trial, had pushed himself to the limit and emerged all the stronger for it.

He found himself grinning as he wondered how such a warrior would fair against _him._

Though his reaction time might have suffered over the millennia, holding up the sky for that long had increased his already considerable strength and stamina to a degree that could easily be called monstrous.

Due to the laws of the universe, he was unable to fight as he pleased unless certain conditions were met, but perhaps this warrior would provide a satisfactory fight.

He turned to Luke, who currently had a look of annoyance at being ignored. Too bad, his value lay in being a willing vessel, not in his opinions.

"Circulate a picture of this man amongst your army," He ordered. "Found out what you can. He's obviously a demigod - which god is his parent? -" _If it wasn't one of the 'Big Three' he'd retake the sky from that pathetic huntress_ "- and find out why you haven't heard of him before this."

A man such as this should be known by both the gods and their enemies, so why wasn't he?

Unfortunately, as fascinated as he was, there were things he needed to do to prepare for this war. Foremost was to collect Zeus's brat, in addition to finding the ophiotaurus. Luke was convinced he could talk the brat onto their side, and as skeptical as Atlas was, he would freely admit that doing so would be quite the coup.

Finding out more about the man would have to wait.

He turned away, "Come," he ordered, "Tell your men to pack up - we're heading out."

He started walking out, barely listening as Luke talked with somebody on his phone, when he heard the boy exclaim in shock "Wait, WHAT is attacking you?!"

* * *

_Several minutes prior_

Heracles stepped out of the building holding the large golden blazer, feeling… Disappointed.

Where was the Divine Beast of the Greeks? A being whose mere presence acted as that of a singularity, the antithesis of all that was civilized?

The beast that he had once fought was a creature whose very being was dedicated to the concept of 'rejection of civilization'. Claws that would rend the toughest of worked material, hide that would barely ruffle when beset against the toughest of armaments. It's main weakness lay in fighting it in an 'uncivilized' manner. Fists, claws, and rocks.

Though even with that weakness... It was still a REALLY large lion.

The lion he had just fought was big and had really tough skin… And that was about it. It was strong of course, but it severely lacked the sheer _**presence**_ of its alter self.

His disappointed look turned to the blazer in his hands, his expression becoming bemused.

When he had first killed the Nemean Lion, it had been a trial in and of itself to skin the creature and take it's coat, and had Athena not taken pity on him and told him the secret to doing so he might have given up and left the whole carcass there.

… Or he would have wasted even more time trying to skin it the way he had been. He could be rather stubborn when he wanted to be, and that lion had taken a finger from him after all.

But here the remains were practically gift wrapped for young heroes, already in a form perfect for wearing, even if he was unable to collect the claws and bones (it wasn't merely the pelt that made the Nemean Lion famous after all.)

He wasn't sure what to think of that if he were honest. Still, it would provide him something to wear if he desired to walk in his physical form. Though he still needed to find a pair of pants that would fit him.

He sensed his cousin moving out of the city at high speeds, and while he wished to stay close to the travelers, he could sense a large presence of monsters nearby as well. Undoubtedly part of the group that released the Nemean Lion against the questers.

It made him uncomfortable to leave an enemy behind unchallenged, lest they attack from behind.

He spent several moments pondering what to do before what some would call a cruel grin spread across his face as a plan came to mind.

It might be considered cruel, but turnabout was fair play, as they say. It would certainly confuse them, cause severe damage to the enemy forces, and allow him to continue traveling with the campers before they got too far away.

He dematerialized his weapons and took the golden lion pelt from across his back, tossing it in front of him.

" _ **Thirty days hunted, a full day fought."**_ He intoned, focusing as he activated a power intrinsically tied to his myth. " _ **A symbol of the wild, a rejection of all that is civilized. I call upon you now, proof of my first labour, to hunt with me. I call upon thee, The Nemean Lion!"**_

The pelt seemed to bubble, the smell of the plains wafting strongly through the area as the empty skin slowly filled out with muscle and bone. Writhing, the pelt soon rose to all fours, and within moments Herakles stood eye to predatory-eye with an eight foot tall lion, it's golden hide shimmering as it's claws ripped furrows into the concrete. The buildings on either side of the alley seemed to edge away from the aura that flowed from it, the plastic and metal trash on the ground breaking apart as the creature took full form.

Heroic Spirits were hardly limited to one Noble Phantasm. A Noble Phantasm was the crystallization of a Heroes myth, and he was known for many things in his life.

He had judged their lion. Let's see how they would judge HIS lion.

* * *

_The priests and guards stepped back in shock from the chained boy as they saw the large man march with purpose towards them, multiple bruises evident on his large body, self-applied bandages barely hiding several lacerations on his chest, and his hand heavily bandaged._

_And yet despite his injuries he walked as though he had none, his stride purposeful and determined._

_Across his shoulders he now wore a freshly skinned pelt of a shimmering gold lion, the hide unmistakable._

" _ **I heard that today was a day of celebration, and felt compelled to join in on the festivities."**_ _The large man boomed ominously as he walked next to the boy who looked like he was about to faint from the relief._ " _ **As I haven't heard of any of the gods requesting human sacrifice, I assume that you were simply waiting for somebody to get a ram to sacrifice, am I correct?"**_

_The giant barely even acknowledged the priests who were rapidly agreeing with his words and already sending men out to obtain a ram. Reaching out and grabbing keys from an unresponsive guard, he unlocked the chains just as the boy regained control of his mouth._

" _Y-y-you came!" He cried out in disbelief, tears of happiness in his eyes._

_He smiled and reached down, ruffling the shocked boy's hair._ " _ **Of course I did,"**_ _he rumbled,_ " _ **I made a promise, didn't I kid?"**_

_The kid lunged forward and clutched his leg in a hug, sobbing tears of happiness as Herakles rubbed the young one's hair._

_This kid… he was a bit older than his own kids would have been had he not killed them. Still, though he might have failed them, he had helped one child._

_If he accomplished nothing else during his labors - his redemption - then he could still say that he had saved the life of one child._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes:
> 
> First off, I'd like to thank everybody for the amount of support I received to continue this story. I was honestly surprised at how many people were excited for the idea, and I'm really hoping that I can live up to the expectation.
> 
> Also, I have a request: I have tried to look up how much the gods truly know about what's going on with quests, but was unable to find anything. For example, Zeus has the questers give a report on what went on during their quest, and Zeus clearly was unable to figure out who stole his lightning bolt, so obviously they aren't omnipotent and can't see everything. However, at the same time, it seems that whenever a god wants to find them they have no trouble doing so. Ares has done this a couple times, Aphrodite, and Apollo. So how exactly does that work? In other words, would the gods already be aware that somebody is assisting with the quest? Does my question make sense?
> 
> Some people asked me if I had a posting schedule, and I'm afraid that I don't really have one. Writing is a hobby, something that I do in what little spare time that I have. That, combined with having multiple stories that I am writing, makes things quite unpredictable. The last couple months have especially been difficult for me in regards to writing. I don't have any plans on abandoning any of my stories, but please be aware that it might take awhile for me to finish writing good, quality chapters.
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter, and I hope that everybody enjoyed it. I'd like to thank my brother Autumnstar and sisters FluffyInsanity, CaptainDarkElf, and CrazedWeirdo for being willing to beta read this chapter for me.


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